Greetings in the Name of the Lord,
I have been thinking a lot lately about the polarization that has been unfolding between religious fundamentalism and devout secularism (think anti-religious atheists). These two groups tend to be the loudest voices at the party and crowd out room for much else. This despite the fact that I really believe that the vast majority of Americans exist somewhere in between these extremes. It does not help that our media tends towards the extremes as well, and as a result it is also getting harder and harder to find examples of how to exist within any sort of nuanced and meaningful middle ground. As I pray about this more and more, I am convinced that Protestant Christianity offers pathways through the middle of this perceived division. And more than that, I think Protestant Christianity can help offer frameworks to let others who may not even identify as particularly religious find pathways through this valley of the extremes. On top of this, I think there are a lot of young people in their 20s and 30s who are searching for some kind of spiritual meaning that they simply can not find in either fundamentalism or secularism. For a lot of these young people, they just are not always aware of what Protestant Christianity really has to offer. Compounding this, I tend to find that most Protestant Christians are not able to talk about their own spirituality in a way that expresses to younger people hungry for spiritual connection what is really being offered. As a result, I have been feeling more and more of a call to try to find ways to bridge these generational divides. In other words I want to help develop language for Protestant Christians to express the ways their own faith traditions walk confidently between the extremes of the current age. I think there is a lot we can do right here at First Presbyterian Church in Victor. Most notable is that many of your kids and grandkids fit into the cohort of folks who are looking for something more than what either fundamentalism or secularism have to offer. Adding to this, some of you have expressed to me your own struggles around being able to talk to them about your own experiences with Church and faith. I want to start using this space each week to explore some of the middle ways that may prove effective in combating the perceived polarization of our time. Hopefully it will also give you some language to use for talking about spirituality and religion with those who do not attend churches. I don't think this will lead to 100s of people suddenly converting full bore to protestant christianity, but I think the more conversations we can have outside of the polarized debates we so often find ourselves in can only be helpful to us all being a part of healthier communities and more meaningful relationships. I am also hoping to highlight some aspects of Protestant Christian faith that we as a congregation can more intentionally lean into so that our own relationship with God deepens and helps lead us to be more loving and compassionate individuals. So keep your eye out over the next few months for opportunities to engage in the middle ways of faith!
In Peace,
Mike
